Kathy is looking for good soup and salad dressings recipes. She's also a fan of “white” soups and dressings and wants help making those with lighter ingredients. Definitely off to a great start, she's already purchased the two cookbooks by Ellie Kreiger that I have listed on the recommended list: The Food You Crave and So Easy. My husband and I have used both of these cookbooks frequently and loved everything!

Highly recommended soups include the Beef and Mushroom Barley Soup, Confetti Chili, Tuscan Vegetable Soup and the Rhode Island Clam Chowder in The Food You Crave. The Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup in So Easy is so wonderful that I used it to serve over 50 people at a soup luncheon. The White Turkey Chili also looks great, though I have my own White Chicken Chili that I will share with you. It's perfect weather around here for good, hot soup. As a matter of fact, we had chili tonight!

When you're making cream soups lighter, try using evaporated skim milk to replace all cream or milk in the recipe. Evaporated milk is twice as concentrated as milk, so it gives soups a nice, rich texture without the fat. Avoid using fat free half & half, as it contains added syrups and sugar. To add an even thicker texture, blend 2 - 4 tablespoons of flour in cold milk, and stir slowly into soup.

For lower fat "white" salad dressings, plain or Greek yogurt is a great base to start with. Blend in a little low fat buttermilk until you get the thickness you want. Yogurt gives a nice tangy flavor, but if you prefer, you can tame it down a bit by adding a tablespoon or two of light mayonnaise. I'm sure you'll love the De-Light-Ful Ranch and Blue Cheese dressings in The Food You Crave.